There exists a multitude of devices for processing granular and other non-consolidated materials. These devices are used for mixing particles contained in a stream of granular material, separating particles having predetermined properties from a stream of granular material, or treating the granular material by coating constituent particles with a fluid or in any other manner. Some of these devices use a fluid, such as air, blown on the particles to process them. In some cases, devices suck the particles to filtrate or cyclonically process them. A drawback of existing devices is that inhomogeneities in the processed particles create inefficiencies in the process. Another drawback of existing devices is that typically, only relatively small quantities of granular material are processed in any given amount of time. This is caused by the fact that using large volumes of fluids or high velocity fluids typically results in non-selective processing of the particles, which is often undesirable, especially in separation processes.
For example, in some processes, particles of a granular material in freefall are separated according to size by blowing air on them in the direction substantially perpendicular to the freefall. In this case, if the flow rate of the air is too large, all the particles are moved perpendicularly to the freefall and no separation occurs. If the flow rate is relatively small, but the speed of the air is relatively large, the same effect typically occurs, or, if a successful separation is achieved, only relatively small amounts of particles can be processed in any given amount of time. There are currently no devices that can separate particles streams according to particle size at large flow rates using this method. Also, to work properly, these processes require that the material to process be significantly diluted. For example, bulk crushed stone is too compact to be processed in this manner.
Also, many applications, including, but not limited to, material processing, are more successful if large volumes of air or other fluid are blown at high velocities. Producing such flows of air economically is relatively difficult.
Against this background, there exists a need in the industry to provide a new and improved apparatuses and methods for processing non-consolidated materials. There exists also a need in the industry to provide new apparatuses and methods for projecting fluids, such as gases, at high velocity and relatively high or small flow rates.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide new and improved apparatuses and methods for processing non-consolidated material. Another object of the present invention is therefore to provide new and improved apparatuses and methods for projecting fluids, such as gases, at at high velocity and relatively high or small flow rates.